Wheel



(No Model.)

G. W. BAKER.

WHEEL.

Patented 001;. 30

lllrarrnn STATES PATENT Ormea.

GEORGE YV. BAKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WHEEL..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,833, dated October30|, 1888.

Application filed April QB, 1888. Serial No. 272,132. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, may concern,.-

Bc it known that I, Gnonen W. BAKER, of St. Louis, Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementi n \Vagon or otherWheels, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of said invention is to provide an easy-running strong wheel.

1t consists substantially of the following combination: An axle providedwith ahub, a series of friction wheels or rollers encircling andsupporting said hub, and a rim encircling and supporting said series ofwheels or rollers, said hub and said rim both having grooves to receivesaid series of wheels or rollers, each of said friction wheels orrollers being composed of three concentric drums, the two exterior onesthereof being in diameter respectively equal but less than the centraldrum, the circuniferences of said exterior roller-drums being preferablymade to bear the same proportion to the eircumferences of the exteriorhubdrums, which ride upon the said exterior drums of thefrictionrollers, as the circumferences of the center roller-drums, whichbear and roll on the track in the bottom of the rim-groove,

bear to the circumference of said track, and' said wheels or rollersbeing braced apart from each other by means of connecting-rods, which attheir ends are journaled on the axles of said friction wheels orrollers, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed,and as illustrated in the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Fignre l is an elevation of the outer side of awheel embodying Ithe improvement under consideration. Fig. 2 is a viewshowing the wheel partly in section and partly in edge elevation, thesectional portion being on the line 2 2, Fig. l, and the portion withinthe rim being in edge elevation. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 4, which in turn is a section on line 4. 4t of Fig. 3.

The last two views illustrate a modilied form of the improvement.

Similar letters applied to the several drawings denote the same parts.

A represents the rim of the wheel, said rim being of the ordinaryconstruction, saving that in its inner edge it has a groove, a.

BBrepresent the series of rollers or friction-wheels. Said rollers B areeach composed of three concentric parts or drumsmviz., the central drum,b, and the two side drums, bb, the diameters of the latter two in thepresent instance being about half the diameter ofthe central drum, b. Itis the central drum, b, which travels in the rim-groove a, and the sidedrums, b', do not touch the rim A. The hub C is also composed of threeconcentric drums-viz.,the two outside drums, c c,whicli are of equaldiameter, and the central one, c, of less diameter than the two outsideones-all of which are fastened on and to the axle c?. The parts c c andc serve to form the groove in the hub in which the central part, b,ofthe roller B travels. Said partb does not come in contact with thecentral part, c, of the hub, but the outside drums, c c, of the hub rideupon the side drums, b b', of the rollers.

c3 c3, Fig. 2, are washers concentric with Vthe hub and designed to playbetween the sides of the hub-drums c and of the rollers b. The rollers Bare connected and held apart from each other and arranged regularlyaround the hub in their respective positions by means of theconnecting-rods D. These rods at their ends are journaled on the axlesb2 of the rollers, and are shaped substantially as shown.

The operation of the herein-described iinprovement is as follows: Theweight of the load applied to the Vehicle rests on the axle and thenceon the hub. In the movement of the vehicle the hub rides upon the seriesof wheels or rollers,bcarin g especially upon those of the series whichfor the time being are beneath the hub, and the series of wheels orrollersin turn bear upon the rim of the wheel. The wheel being supposedto rest on a suitable road or surface and a hauling-strain applied tothe axle, the hub bears against the roller, then forward of it, whichroller in turn bears against the rim in a forward direction, causing themain wheel to roll on the road and rollers to roll on the track in thegroove of the main wheel.

The two annular sheet metal cases ci d, termed dust-shields,77 extendfrom the outside drums, c, of the hub to the rim of the wheel for thepurpose of protecting the inte- IOO rior of the wheel from dust anddirt. They are fastened to the outsides of the hub-drums c, their outeredges, dd, sliding on the rim A l Fig. l.

In the modified form of the improvement shown in Figs. 3, 4, the flatrings d2 d?, shown in Fig. 4, take the place of both dust-shield d, Fig.2, and the connecting-rods D. The axles of the rollers journal into saidring d2 and it revolves with the rollers, its edges projecting over thehub-drums c and the rim A, on which it slides as it revolves. Thestructure may be constructed entirely of metal. If the rim and any ofthe drums are constructed of Wood,they may be provided with iron tires,and an iron track or tread may be laid at the bottom of the groove inthe rim of the wheel.

The number of rollers employed in wheels of this character is preferablyive; but the number may be reduced to three or it may be increased innumber, provided in either case that they are properly proportioned andare arranged uniformly, as above described.

To secure the least friction, the circumferences of the roller-drums onwhich the hubdrums bear and the circumferenccs of the said hub-drumsshould bear the same proportion to each other as the circumfcrencesofthe center drums of the rollers do tothe circumference of the track inthe bottom of the groove in the and the hub may be arranged to revolveon the axle or be rigidly fastened thereto.

In the above description of the said im- 4o provement the part calledthe hub, being rigidly fastened to the axle, becomes in fact part of theaxle. ,A

I am aware of a wheel having a series of friction-rollers interposedbetween the hub and the rim, the rollers each consisting of a singledrum whose periphery comes in contact with both the hub and the rim andthe rollers touch ing each other. Such a construction would not answermy purpose, because of the excessive friction incident thereto causedpartly by the rubbing of the friction-wheels against the hub and therim, and especially by the jamming and consequent rubbing of thefriction-rollers against each other.

I claim- A wheel having in combination an axle provided with a hub, aseries of friction wheels or rollers encircling and supporting said hub,and a rim encircling and supporting said series of wheels or rollers,said hub and said rim both having'grooves to receive said series ofwheels or rollers, said wheels or rollers having a central larger drumand two exterior smaller drums, and the exterior drums ofsaid hub ridingupon the exterior drums of said wheels or rollers, and the central drumof said wheels or rollers riding in the rim-groove,sub stantially asdescribed.

fitness my hand this 2d April, 1888.

GEO. XV. BAKER.

Witnesses:

C. D. MOODY, A. M. EvERIs'r.

